Coal and ash
by ShadowDianne
Summary: In the moving shadows of the Victorian London green and brown eyes glow as the swishing sound of blades dance a dance that had been up since before they were both alive. Welcome to Templar grounds Assassins, would you be able to survive? (Cover art made by the incredible spoonofevil)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This is based both in the assassin's creed game syndicate and the amazing art of spoonofevil. I'm very grateful I was able to use her idea as a model and I really hope this one shot is one of her liking.**

 **To those who don't know what's syndicate about is the latest assassin's creed game and is based on the Victorian era. 1868 to be precise so halfway the Queen's reign more or less. The game features the industrialization movement alongside with the striking difference between rich and poor and the first labor movements as we now know them.**

 **And… yup, I'm addicted to the game xd To those who haven't played yet and want to this one shot albeit is based in the game don't have any spoilers and it's basically a version of an old head canon of mine. To those who haven't ever played and don't intend to I have also tried to keep everything as simple as possible but if you have any questions about all of this feel free to ask! ^^**

Coal and ash

The sound of heavy machinery filled the air almost like a slow, mechanical and loud heartbeat that had transformed the not so long ago quiet island of Britain into something that could only be described as cold. In the air particles of the coal that was endlessly being burned floated slowly, moving lazily between the air currents that circled the fabric, the heat that came from the long chimneys that hovered over the city of London making the air around them almost shimmer.

Deep green eyes narrowed as another sound, this time human-like, pierced the air; a loud scream that was quickly silenced by the three thugs that worked as the foremen of the fabric, the men and women working busily in the patio a few feet below her stilling for just a millisecond before they started working again, not even a sound coming from their mouths when one of the thugs that had disappeared momentarily came again carrying the body of a child. Even from where Emma was perched the paleness of the boy's face was evident and for one single second the blonde woman let her eyes drop, a soft tired sigh escaping her lips.

Opening her eyes she focused them once again on the patio below her, her leather covered fingers grasping the metal she was perched at even more strongly, patience never being one of her strongest treat.

She had slept in the vicinities of the factory and had risen even before the first workers had started their one and only long shift. When she had been sure than no one was there to stop her she had climbed the first wall made mostly of wood and had tried to found the tallest part of the factory without actually approaching to the chimneys that later on would be cleaned by little children no older than eight. Like the one that had been probably cremated a few moments before.

The place she had found, one long and abandoned structure in the middle of the patio, had seemed like a good idea when the first hours of morning had finally started to bring enough clarity for her to be able to see where her hands were grabbing into but as more people arrived and the sound of cogs starting to turn filled the air she had realized that she was stuck in the place, unable to come down unless she decided to just fight against the dozen or so thugs that kept everyone in the fabric in check. Not an impossible feat but something that would surely drag attention. Which she didn't want.

Looking at the long black gloves that covered her hands she flexed her fingers as she tried to adjust her body in the long, thin piece of metal that had been holding her weight for almost three hours now. The sunrays barely filtered through the thick clouds that hovered over the city and the grey light they produced was actually helpful for her since her dirty white clothes didn't stand out enough for any worker or thug to see her if they ever happened to look up. Not that that had happened yet.

Moving her head from left to right she glanced at her sides, the hood that covered most of her features with the long shadow it casted on her face was good in the narrow streets of London but not so much when she tried to spy on such an open space. However, she knew the importance of having her face always covered as best as possible and even though she despised the rules she tried to follow that one, not wanting to disclose who she was if one of the men that kept insulting the workers below her ever realized that an assassin was already so near them.

Well, two.

The long knives she had hidden in the long coat clinked softly when the wind seeped between her clothes, the tip of her tongue wetting her lips, nervousness starting to settle inside her.

It had already been seven hours, the maximum both Regina and her had stated the blonde would wait outside the fabric the previous night. "After that I will be entering the place and I don't care how many guards I will need to take down with me" She had stated, her words being effectively shushed by a smile and a nod from the slightly smaller brunette in front of her. The black and purple of Regina's robes being the last thing she had saw before the woman had let the night swallow her.

Regina had always been better with that, keep everything silence, patient enough to not move when she was being chased, smart enough to use the shadows of the city. Which had been probably the reason why it had been decided that it would be her and not Emma the one who would enter in the Templar fabric, a piece of the map the brotherhood needed hidden in some secret laboratory that place had. Emma hadn't protested at first but once she had discovered that she would be the one waiting outside she had indeed showed her fury. Regina and she had almost never been apart since they had started working together as a team, and she didn't precisely want to leave the brunette woman alone in a fabric full of Templars and who knew how many traps.

And yet there she was, she thought with a snarl already curling her face, the muscles on her arms tightening, doubt if she had calculated wrong also ricocheting in her mind. Waiting.

She would probably have made a mess with the mission, she reasoned, one long blonde tress caressing her cheek when she moved her face to her right where one of the goons was screaming towards one tired-looking woman. Bile filled her mouth. One more minute she thought, then she would come out from her hideout, carefulness be damned.

Brass and hot headed, the words came to her mind, Regina's soft voice the one that said them as she faced once again the window they had said it would be the point from where Regina would try to exit once the mission was done. Smiling, she nodded to herself, she admitted to be that, to prefer punch first and ask questions later than the elaborate plots Regina usually started. She hated casualties, she said every time Emma protested whenever she needed to help her in a plan, the methodical part of being an assassin suited her like a glove and even though Emma sometimes mocked her dedication to intricate plans she also knew that without her she would probably already have been found by the Templars.

Biting her lips she hummed when a shadow seemed to move in front of the window she was guarding, no sound of sirens or screams that weren't the usual ones of a fabric could be heard and so she backed off slightly, her right hand grabbing one of her knives, her left foot slowly moving below her body so she could take a leap in case she needed to.

Suddenly the window cracked open, a dark-clothed figure exiting it, strong arms supporting the body of the brunette who had her hood also up, her face invisible to Emma. With a sigh the blonde relaxed a little; Regina didn't seem injured nor worried and as the brunette started to climb up the wall she looked below her, trying to calculate when it would be the best for her to move out from her position and actually approach the brunette woman.

Regina had already reached the roof of the building that was used to store the production of the iron beams that would later on be sold to the rail-way companies. Her figure silhouetted against the dirty-looking sky made Emma roll her eyes ever so slightly. Despite her composed nature Regina had always been a sucker for theatrics. Moving slightly to her left and trying to see if any thug was close enough to see her if she decided to descend from her position she saw from the corner of her eye how Regina looked at where she was, a smirk growing on Emma's lips as she saw how the shorter woman saluted her. The brunette always seemed to know where Emma would hide, even if the places the blonde always seemed to pick weren't the most tactical-wise places she could chose-

Emma answered to the salute with one of her own, pointing at her feet to signal she would be down in a few, with a nod and something that Emma would have sworn was a sigh Regina went to one of the sides of the building and started the descent, her quick graceful movements making Emma blush once she realized she had stared maybe for far longer that it would be wise. Clearing her throat, she turned and grabbed the closest plank that helped the structure to be together, her gloves helping her as she moved down, carefully avoiding the guards.

It was useless of course, the middle of the patio could be a perfect place to spy but it was also a very easy spot to be seen in and as soon as her body was close enough to the floor one thug looked up, his blue porcine eyes widening just as Emma sighed and jumped, the hidden blade in her left glove doing the rest.

Regina wasn't going to make her forget that one easily.

Starting to run, she almost didn't saw the other two men that were already approaching their fallen friend, one of them shouting as soon as he laid eyes on her. No, definitely she was going to hear about that one for days.

Growling, Emma moved to one side duckling the men's attempts to grab her and kicking the other in his groin, knowing that it wasn't a very graceful movement but the quickest one she could think off as alarm started to echo on the patio.

Suddenly, as she ducked the second one and actioned the hidden blade of her glove once again once she saw how the man brandished one short sharp knife a swishing sound was heard and the helm of one long knife seemed to appear out of thing air in the chest of her attacker, Regina's deep voice the next thing she heard at her back.

"I knew I was going to need to help you"

Turning, Emma rolled her eyes, the brunette smiling slightly mischievously at her from behind her hood, hands on her hips. The corset she always wore was slightly damp with what seemed to be blood and in that precious seconds Regina had bought the two of them Emma frowned, pointing at the damp patch of the tight leather clothing. The brunette shrugged and moved her right hand over it, the glove she wore also showing the blood that seemed to be slowly drying.

"Not mine" She assured, smile disappearing from her lips as her chocolate brown eyes glowed a little behind the hood. "Some guards were on my way as I tried to exit, I didn't want to make you wait anymore"

Nodding, Emma let out a sigh, turning to look at her back. "Glad to hear that, let's move then"

Humming, Regina started to run being promptly followed by Emma herself, the two of them climbing the same wall they had climbed up the night before and falling with equally soft thuds in the wet mud at the other side. The alarm was slowly dying but more men seemed to come out from the fabric's insides and so the two women run as fast as they could, leaving behind the place and trying to get lost as quickly as they were able to.

The factories were at one side of the Thames, most of them almost touching the ones they had at their sides and the smell of mud, coal and the distinct smell of the river's waters clouded the atmosphere, workers, thieves and few policemen could be seen and as the two women passed groups of people that stared at them curiously Emma saw how Regina tried to find a spot good enough for them to hide.

"Stop" Regina commanded Emma when they passed what seemed to be a moldy shed. "We will wait here"

Emma followed the brunette after one second of doubt but as soon as Regina forced the door and the two of them closed it behind them she heard the footsteps of probably the men that had been following their moving silhouettes. Taking a deep breath Emma grabbed the hood, dropping it. Long strands of hair had let loose from the tight bun she used to keep her long tresses in check and as she tucked them back in she turned to look at Regina. The brunette was standing next to the door, hood also down and with her left ear almost touching the wooden surface, trying to distinguish something in the suddenly quieter air.

"They don't seem to have realized where we are" She finally said, turning to look at Emma who was securing the mechanisms of the retracting blade once again. "May I ask you what were you doing in the most impractical place of the entire compound?"

The question, although could be sensed as fueled by anger, was actually followed by a soft chuckle, deep eyes finding green as Emma huffed, pretending to not be blushing under the knowing and slightly mocking gaze of the brunette.

"I was worried that you weren't going to make it on time" Emma finally admitted, sighing softly "And I thought that being already closer to you…"

Regina shook her head but stepped closer to the blonde, her figure blocking the weak light that seeped between the poorly nailed planks. Now that Emma could look at her better she saw that the blood that was on the corset didn't seem to indeed come from an injury. Which made her nod to herself. The brunette's high boots were slightly scrapped from what appeared to be a knife attack but overall she looked as pristine as she had looked the night before when they had parted their ways. The brunette's shorter locks caressed her cheeks and Emma was almost tempted to raise her right hand and touch them. Almost.

Regina had rules about those kind of things though and so she closed her hands into tight fists and waited for the brunette woman to say something.

"I told you I was going to be okay" The brunette's words were soft but her eyes held something slightly darker. The price of living with a mother that had never been proud of her husband's first and later on her daughter's occupation as an assassin's and a marriage that fortunately had finished almost as swiftly as it had started.

"I know that" Emma assured softly "But we all know how the Templars are…"

The brunette nodded at that, turning to look at the door, deep in thought. Emma used that moment to fasten the half-cape she wore even tighter around her body, the run having moved it too much to the left for her liking. Waiting for Regina to do any movement she circled her and stared at the silent woman, brown eyes seeming to be elsewhere.

"I didn't find anything" Regina finally admitted with a sigh, revealing to Emma the reason behind her silence. "Seems like they were told beforehand that we were going to attack"

"Couldn't our informants be wrong?" Emma asked but as soon as the words left her mouth she shook her head.

"Or we are being spied" Regina finished for her, a sad smile on her face. "There were more guards than we had been told but almost neither of them were near the entrances I needed to use"

"So why…?"

The brunette shrugged, the long black coat she wore moving with her "Showing off the power they possess, that was probably their plan"

Emma hummed, seemed like Regina had found something else entirely than what they had come to find.

"We need to do something then"

Regina nodded, tilting her head and kissing softly Emma's pale pink lips, a smirk appearing on her face as the blonde stood in front of her, completely flabbergasted.

"Seems like it, I think we can move now"

Emma chuckled when the shorter woman turned and opened the door, no guards but workers the only ones that welcomed the two of them.

"Right behind you" She muttered, losing herself with Regina in the bustling city of London. And she had the fame of being the one that loved to improvise…


	2. Chapter 2-Interlude

A/N Nope, I don't have an explanation to this, just that I wanted to keep writing with these two being assassins xD I've planned on writing a series of some sorts and maybe later on put everything on the correct place within the right timeline… I still really don't know how that is going to work but I guess I just wanted to write about Emma and Regina jumping through London's Victorian roofs.

As I said in "Coal and Ash" even though this is based on the series of assassin's creed and more prominently on the latest game of the series "Syndicate" I haven't written any spoilers of the game here. Also… Coal and Ash was set in the same moment Syndicate started (1868) but this piece will be setting ten years before that, on the early months of 1858.  
And that is, hope you all enjoy! ^^

* * *

(1858)

Regina breathed in the foggy air of London, flinching when the coldness of it scraped her throat on its way in. The city below her looked like a nest of busy ants and as she followed carriages and men alike she narrowed her eyes, her glove-covered hands flinching slightly at the sight of the man she had been asked to follow.

 _Breathe_

The voice of her mentor echoed on her mind and she let herself relax on her position, a quite unstable plank in one of the highest points of the still unfinished clock tower. Newspapers said that the clock would be finished in just a few more weeks and as Regina eyed carefully the place she was in she tilted her head to one side, knowing full well that the clock tower had been erected by Templars. Seemed fitting that she, an assassin, would use it in order to find one of them.

Apprentice not assassin, her mind whispered to her and for a second she felt the irritation grow inside of her, her brows furrowing at the memory of the title she still possessed.

 _Breathe_

Sun was already starting to disappear at the other side of the horizon and the streets, busy and dark, didn't help to distinguish the tall lanky man that kept moving forward. Muttering a few well-chosen words she knew her tutors would never approve she moved to her right, her black and violet robes fluttering at her sides as a gust of wind reached the tower's roof. Her boots didn't do any sound however when she jumped from one plank to another, her eyes still trained on the man's retreating back, and as she kept walking to the right side of the roof ,where she knew a coil of rope was already waiting for her, she let a smirk escape her otherwise serious face, lips curling upwards. The bombs she had been giving before her expedition touched her thigs has she grabbed the rope, mentally calculating how many more minutes she would need to wait before starting her descend. Light was starting to be a limited luxury and once the night fully settled in thugs and prostitutes alike would start to fill the even better sides of a city that seemed to never go to sleep. Swallowing and licking her lips carefully she took one more step, her body now hanging from the rope alone, the muscles of her arms protesting for a few seconds before her training kicked in.

Just one more minute, she thought, and she would be able to start.

She was not a fool of course, she knew that the man was probably either a bait, an exam or one of the lowest ranking men in the whole Templar system. Her mentor still thought she needed training and even though Regina's nature fought against that idea she also knew that the Assassins were only being careful. After the fierce backlash the order had suffered thanks to the Templars malicious scheming they needed to be careful, and well-trained.

Taking a deep breath and using the planks and still unfinished reliefs that would later on decorate the tower she began her descent, her boots, made by leather and greased until the flexible skin didn't have any problems with any of her movements, scrapped against the high wall and as she finally reached one of the lower levels of the Tower she let out a sigh. She had always hated such descents and as she looked at the now closer city she tried to shake off the feeling of uneasiness that seemed to have settled inside of her.

Now she could force her eyes and see the man's nape, her dark clothes shining from even where Regina was perched signaling the richness the man seem to have no problem on displaying. From such distance she still couldn't see his features or even the Templar cross that every member of such Order had but Regina knew it was there. He seemed to be in a deep conversation with two more men and the brunette regretted for a second not having do her descent from the other side of the tower where she would have been able to hide and probably listen to the conversation without being seen. Sighing and mentally smacking herself she grabbed the rope she had previously seen back when she had climbed the tower and waited, half of her body already on the rope, her long legs waiting just for the right moment to begin the descent once again.

 _Don't kill him_

Nodding to herself she waited until the three men moved to the left of where she was and moved once again, this time as quickly as possible knowing full well that as close as she was from them every strange sound or curious onlookers that would be able to see her would be fatal for the mission. Blinking quickly as her feet finally touched the roof of the lower building of the parliament she moved quickly to the left where she would be able to keep descending the façade of the building without being as exposed as before. The three men continued talking and walking towards the general direction she had previously thought it would be the way she would need to follow and as she smirked to herself for the work she had until now done well she let her feet and hands guide her until she was finally touching the city floor, a few men casting curious glances at her but nothing big enough to drag any attention to her dark-clothed figure.

Moving from one group to another and keeping always in sight the three men she was supposedly be following she bit her bottom lip, feeling the stares from men and women alike that looked at her curiously before resuming their business. She had been trained to be able to disappear in large crowds no matter where or what she was wearing but being this the first time she actually tried her mentor's words she felt every bit of exposed as if she would have been wearing her everyday clothes, clothes that pinched and restricted her movements as much as possible. Taking a deep breath she walked to her left, keeping always an eye on the lanky man. She now could see her greying hair and cruel smile, his hands pale and soft looking where moving as he talked; the hands of someone who would never murder anyone but would be responsible for dozens of deaths. Feeling the bile starting to rise up her esophagus she tried to calm down, the knives she had also hidden on her clothes reassuring her with their weight as she walked as quick as possible, smiling at the ones that stared at her before moving to the next point, carefully and methodically, waiting for the right moment to move.

Until a blonde blot appeared on her field of vision and as she blinked the same blonde blot reappeared once again behind the man sporting a wide smile that was quickly turned into a scold as the man turned and saw her.

A woman, a young woman not older than her wearing grey man clothes that could perfectly well have being picked on one of the dozen workhouses that have been recently built in the center of the city stood proudly in front of both Regina and the Templars, the brunette gaping at her, now knowing what to think about what had just happened. Regina didn't have the time to say anything or look at anything else but the blonde's impossible green eyes before the Templar she had been following raised one arm and screamed for help, his voice high pitched and scared, guards that had been patrolling silently until now turning to look at him as the multitude stared curiously at the little group that had gathered in the middle of the street, the blonde girl seeming to be holding something that Regina could have sworn was a piece of paper.

"Shit" She thought before turning and move as quick as possible without actually running, putting as much distance as she was able to between herself and the group of men. As close as she was it would only be matter of seconds before she would be spotted and the Templar would only need to look at her clothes to know what she was or why she was there. Furious with the mysterious blonde girl but actually feeling bad for her bad luck she walked until she reached one of the narrow streets that circled the clock tower, the monstrosity now casting a long shadow Regina used as screams and curses could be heard.

She would need to go back to the hideout and admit defeat, she thought while clenching her jaw. Her mentor would probably not be very happy about it.

Her musings came to a halt when she felt a strong hand on her back. Jumping and mentally kicking herself for not having heard the sound of steps walking behind her she turned, finding herself face to face with the mysterious blonde girl of before, the cheeky smile she sported not doing anything to disguise that she was breathing heavily.

"And here thinking that the Brotherhood actually took care of their own" She said while shrugging airily, a wink fluttering on her right eyelash as she looked briefly at her back. "I think I've managed to lose them but better if you bring me to the hideout, I still don't know these city very well"

"You are an assassin?" Regina replied befuddled. Now that she was able to look at her better the blonde looked to be a few years younger than her, perhaps not even reaching 18. Her hands however were strong and even though her posture was not as perfect as Regina after months of training she seemed to be holding herself carefully, shifting her gravity center like Regina had been asked to do a million of times.

"Apprentice" The blonde replied, her green eyes shining slightly on the almost deserted narrow street. The sound of the city were drowned for a second as Regina tilted her head, the mysterious blonde had a certain accent, one Regina didn't quite recognize as it seemed to be a mix of different variations and for the way she kept looking at her back she really didn't seem to be nor a threat not a Templar. Licking her bottom lip and nodding once she turned and started to walk. Apparently that was that sign only just what the blonde needed because she followed her, extending her right hand while smirking cheekily.

"I'm Emma by the way, they told me that I would find one of you near the target but I would have never pegged you to be one of them until I saw how you retreated"

Regina blinked at that, "You almost made me discover myself" She replied, wrath starting to crack the confusion she had been feeling until now "I needed to find where he was going and now I can't follow him since he will probably be careful"

Emma raised her hands in surrender. "I was just doing what I was asked to do" She replied, cheeky smile turning into something that looked like contrition.

"And what was that?" The brunette replied fuming, now that she was calmer she felt not only wrath but shame to having been beaten but someone that, as herself, seemed to be just a mere apprentice.

"Picking up this" Emma replied, handing her the paper Regina had previously seen on her hand. The sheet had the Templar Cross on it and showed what seemed to be a direction written on it with red ink. "Apparently we were asked to do the same mission?"

Regina bit her lips at the wording as she kept looking at the piece of paper, feeling anger swelling even more inside of her.

"I didn't know that he had this with him" She replied, stopping in the middle of the street and making Emma almost collide against her, the blonde girl quickly stopping herself though and shrugging once again, her blonde curls, barely held together in a poorly made bun bouncing slightly at the movement.

"I guess that's the reason they sent us both"

Regina mumbled to herself before sighing, handing the paper to Emma once again and staring intently at her for a few seconds.

"If this is a trap" She enunciated slowly "Or you are going to cause me problems I will make sure that you pay for this, got it?"

The blonde green eyed woman nodded, her smile parting her lips once again.

"Got it"


End file.
